New York Democratic congressman resigns after complaint by male staffer

View full size(AP File Photo) This Tuesday Oct. 14, 2008 picture shows Eric Massa, Democratic candidate for New York's 29th Congressional District in Rochester, N.Y. Massa stepped down Friday, March 5, 2010, after a complaint of a sexual nature by a male staffer.WASHINGTON -- New York Democratic Rep. Eric Massa, facing a harassment complaint by a male staffer, said today that he is stepping down from his seat with "a profound sense of failure."

"I am guilty," Massa told his House and campaign staff in a conference call today, according to a participant.

Later in the day, Massa released a statement saying that after learning he had a recurrence of cancer, he learned he was the subject of an ethics complaint by a male staffer who felt "uncomfortable" during an exchange with Massa. The exchange reportedly had sexual overtones.

"I will resign my position," Massa said in the statement.

"There is no doubt in my mind that I did in fact, use language in the privacy of my own home and in my inner office that, after 24 years in the Navy, might make a Chief Petty Officer feel uncomfortable," Massa added. "In fact, there is no doubt that this ethics issue is my fault and mine alone."

Earlier Friday, a visibly upset Massa said he didn't want to put his family through the rigors of an ethics committee investigation.

"It would tear us apart," Massa said, according to Joe Dunning, a columnist for The Leader newspaper. "It's not that I can fight or beat these allegations, I'm guilty."

The resignation takes effect Monday.

Massa's departure is good news for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's effort to advance a troubled health care overhaul. Massa had voted against it. His departure reduces the majority she needs for passage to 216.

Massa's acknowledgment of inappropriate behavior comes as the House's majority Democrats struggle with ethics matters among their own ranks despite promising to clean up Congress when they came to power.

The New York delegation has been especially hard-hit by ethics matters. Rep. Charlie Rangel, a 20-term House veteran and the most influential member of the delegation, surrendered the chairmanship of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee this week after the ethics committee found that the Harlem Democrat had broken House rules on accepting gifts.

And New York Gov. David Paterson dropped his re-election bid because of evidence he may have pressed the girlfriend of his closest top aide to drop charges of domestic violence against that aide. He's losing staff amid calls for him to quit.

Massa at first dismissed the allegations against him. The ethics committee issued a statement Thursday saying it is "investigating and gathering additional information concerning matters related to allegations involving" Massa.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Wednesday that he was told the week of Feb. 8 by a staff member in Massa's office about allegations of misconduct. Hoyer directed Massa to report the allegations to the House ethics committee within 48 hours. Hoyer said he got confirmation within that time frame that the committee received the report and would review the allegations.

Massa, who is married, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1996. He was elected in 2008, defeating Republican Rep. Randy Kuhl.

The 29th district in the southwestern corner of New York has been dominated by Republicans since the party's founding in 1854. It's a largely agricultural district the size of Connecticut.

Citing his cancer, Massa, 50, said Wednesday he would retire at the end of his term. During a conference phone call with reporters that day, Massa dismissed a Politico story that cited unidentified House aides in reporting that the congressman had been accused of harassing a staffer.(Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman, Andrew Miga, Liz Sidoti and Ben Dobbin contributed to this report.)